How Parents Shape Early Bilingual Development
UC Davis Researchers Examine How Story Time Improves Language Use
For young bilingual children,
learning English often happens alongside something just as
important: maintaining the language spoken at home. This language
carries family history and cultural identity, and it supports how
children communicate, learn, and develop as bilingual speakers.
Prof. Yuuko Uchikoshi, Emily Mak, Ph.D. ’24, and their colleagues sought to better understand how everyday interactions between parents and children can support home language development. In a study on early dual language learning, they examined how shared book reading between bilingual children and their parents influenced how children used their home language. The team found that when children took a more active role in conversations during reading, they tended to produce more speech, especially in their home language.
“Supporting a child’s home language alongside English is important for both communication and long-term development,” said Uchikoshi. “Each language contributes in different ways, and maintaining the home language helps children stay connected to their families while they build the skills they need for school.”
Engagement Increases Children’s Participation
During their study, researchers observed shared book reading between mothers and their preschool-aged children from Mexican American and Chinese American families. During these sessions, mothers used several prompts to make the book reading more interactive. Their conversations included four question types:
- Yes/no: “Is the man wearing a hat?”
- Referential: “What’s that animal?”
- Behavioral: “What’s that character doing now?”
- Inferential: “What do you think will happen next?”
When the mothers used these different questions, their children responded more often and used their home language more frequently. The study also found that many children understood more than they were able to express, suggesting the importance of giving them chances to speak, no matter what’s discussed or how correctly it’s articulated.
Simple Ways to Support Home Language Use
Drawing on these findings, Uchikoshi, Mak, and their co-researchers highlight three ways to support early language development during shared reading:
1. Encourage Prediction and Reflection
Questions that invite children to anticipate what might happen next, connect the story to their own experiences, or describe how characters feel can prompt deeper thinking and more detailed responses.
2. Reinforce Basic Vocabulary
More advanced questions can be paired with simpler prompts to keep children engaged. For example, asking them to name objects in the book, such as characters, settings, or key details, offers an easy entry point into the conversation.
3. Support Flexible Language Use
Children may naturally move between English and their home language. Allowing that flexibility helps them focus on expressing ideas without getting stuck on specific wording.
“What this study shows is that increasing children’s opportunities to respond during shared reading can support their use of the home language,” said Uchikoshi. “That kind of participation helps build expressive language skills and provides a starting point for understanding how everyday interactions shape bilingual development over time.”
